Is It Fair For Media To Critize a Driver's Ability?

Dale Earnhardt Jr and Jamie McMurray are 21st and 22nd in the current point standings. Dale Earnhardt Jr no secret has had one of if not the worst season of his career with 2 top fives and 5 top tens. McMurray's isn't any better infact it's worse with no top fives, 3 top tens with a best finish of 7th at Richmond in May which was his last top ten.

These 2 drivers also seem to be the target of some of media in NASCAR. Both are severely criticized to perhaps not have the driver, ability, motivation, skills, overall talent to win races and be a contender in the Sprint Cup series. My question is. What nerve do they have?

If I am correct most media that covers nascar have not driven behind the wheel of a stockcar or any racecar in a competition. Much less racing in the biggest racing series in North America with pressure from fans, sponsors, teams and so on and so forth. Some are so quick to put judgement on drivers who are down and appear to be out. We'll if it is so easy than why don't you give it a go?

I have always believed whether your Tony Stewart or Casey Mears your a very talented racecar driver. Why? Simple. You have made it to the NASCAR Sprint Cup series perhaps the hardest sport to break in. In the cup series we currently have only 8 drivers without a Sprint Cup win to their name. And only 3 without a NASCAR win to their name. All these drivers won championships before they made it into Cup.

Lest we forget that Dale Earnhardt Jr is a 2 time then Busch series champion. And that Jamie McMurray won a national go kart championship at age 10, and an international go kart championship in 1991. Lest we forget that Dale Earnhardt is the 2004 Daytona 500 champion and became the first rookie to win the Allstar race in 2000.

You must remember that Jamie McMurray is the quickest driver to reach victory lane ina Cup car in only his 2nd start and he won the last 4 races at Rockingham in the nationwide series in a row. Lest we forget that Dale Earnhardt Jr has made the chase in 2004, 2006, and 2008. And that Jamie McMurray came close to the chase in 2004 and 2005 finished 11th and 12th respectively both seasons.

But of course different writers will go and criticize these driver over their rough seasons throwing different types of insults towards them acting as if they are veterans.

Indeed some may be veterans in terms of covering the sport. But unless you have been in one of these racecars like Darrell Waltrip, Rusty Wallace, or Dale Jarrett. You don't know what it is like at all.